Almost Time for This Year’s POP! Hall of Fame

“Go ahead. Make my spray.” – Mr. Clean

It’s almost that time again.

Time to select the top ten names or slogans from this past year that passed the Eyebrow Test with flying colors. These names join winners from past years which include Java Jacket, Diabesity, Weeding By Example, Freakonomics and Eats, Shoots & Leaves.

“What’s the Eyebrow Test?” you ask. It’s what happens when we hear or see something intriguing. Our eyebrows go UP as if to say, “That’s interesting. Tell me more.”

Congrats to these individuals and organizations for coining these catchy sound-bites that caught and kept our favorable attention – the goal of all communication.

Bamelot: This is the name the New York Post has given the incoming administration. It’s what we call in POP! a Half-and-Half Word – a fused version of two words that coins a new name or phrase.

Scads: Those little scam ads (another Half-and-Half Word) that show up when surfing online. A clever ad in USA Today sponsored by the Alliance Against Bait & Click suggests you practice “safe search” and ignore these deceptive ads with their made-up claims to trick you into buying stuff that ought to be free.

Isn’t It Their Turn to Pick Up the Check? This book by Jeanne Hemming and Leonard Schwarz from Free Press demonstrates the power of POP!ing a question to engage interest and pique curiosity – and the power of saying what people are thinking to win buy in.

Buyology: You’ve heard of Spell Check? This is an example of Spell Chuck where you riff of a common word and create a brand new word you can trademark (thereby creating a business empire with the power to generate revenue in perpetuity). What would you call the science of how and why we buy? How about BUYology? Kudos to author Martin Lindstrom for this fantastic book title.

Check back Dec. 20 for the rest of the POP! Hall of Fame — and it’s not too late to submit your nominations.

Have you seen or heard a business name or slogan that made your eyebrows go UP?

Send it to me at info@SamHorn.com in by Dec. 18 and it may be included in the final top ten list. If it is, you get an autographed copy of POP! and the POP! CD! with innovative ways to create attention-grabbing pitches, titles and taglines to get your priority project noticed and remembered . . . for all the right reasons.